Railway-tie.



Patented Aug. 22, I899.

F. A. CLARKSUN.

RAILWAY TIE.

Application filed May 4, 1899.)

No Model.)

INVENTOR 1 ///////////I//// 1 W" i l A M 7/ 5/1111??? WITNESSES v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

FRANCIS A. CLARKSON, OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

RAILWAY -TIE,

SPECIFICATION formin part of Letters Patent No. 631,618, dated August 22, 1899. Application filed May 4, 1899- Serial No. 715,533. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS A. CLARKSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Ties; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,'and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in metallic ties for railroads; and it consists of certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a top plan view of my improved tie, showing the means of attachment to the rails. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the same. Fig. 3 represents a cross section through the track, one of the ties being shown in side elevation. Fig. 4 representsadetail'perspective View of one end of a tie, showing the lugs for engaging the flanges of the rail. Fig. 5 represents a perspective view of the chair or fastening for holding the rail-joint. Fig. 6

represents a detail view of one end of a tie,

showing the binding-bolt elevated. Fig. 7 represents a modified form of the end of a tie as adapted for bridges, and Fig. 8 represents another modified view of the same. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a modified construction for preventing the rails from creeping, the

. tie being shown in section; and Fig. 10 is a top plan view of the same.

1 in the drawings represents my improve tie,which is formed of two longitudinal beams 2 and 3, preferably angle-bars made of suit-" able metal, said angle-bars being formed with horizontal flanges at top to form a broad bearing-surface for the rails,and vertical body portions 4 4. The horizontal flanges of the,

angle-bars are provided with lugs 5 6, which the earth placed about the'tie to firmly hold the same in position. As seen in Fig. 6, the binding-bolt 10 may be elevated, so that the same can be more readily reached than if placed near the ground to permit an attendant to easily tighten or loosen the bolt in case of wreck or as maybe desired; For this purpose I form a lug or projection, as ,9, on the ends of the body portions 4, which projection extends above the plane of the tie and is formed with an aperture through which bolt 10 may be passed. The angle-bars 2 3 preferably taper from end to center for a purpose as will be hereinafter described.

Where rail-joints occur, it is desirable to separate the vertical body portions of the angle-bars, as seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and in order to accomplish this I interpose a spacing-washer, as 11, between the ends of the angle-bars and pack earth solidly around the members of the tie to hold the same rigidly in place. I also employ at these points a chair or fastening, as 12, to further brace the ends of the angle-bars and form a connectingmeans for the rails. This chair or fastening consists of a horizontal portion 13, which is preferably notched, as at 14,-to accommodate the lugs 5 6 on the angle-bars and formed with downwardly and inwardly extending ends, as 15, adapted to engage the flanges of the ties, and also with a side projection, as 16, embracing the base-flange of the rail. This projection 16 is provided with afish-plate 17, having holes through which bolts are adapted to be passed in the usual manner, When it is desired to remove the chair on the inside of the rail, it is simply necessary to loosen the bolts in the fish-plate and slip the chair down the tapering angle-bar until it can be lifted off. If it is desired to remove the chair on In order to secure the ties to bridges, I preferably construct the same as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, where the ends of the angle-bars are formed with lugs 18, which may be notched and bolted to the bridge structure, or may be apertured or formed integral with the anglebars in any suitable manner. Any number of these lugs maybe used at points along the length of the tie.

In Figs. 9 and 10 another means for preventing the creeping of the track is shown. As illustrated in these figures, this means is shown as applied to rail-joints. In this construction I employ a plate, as 19, which is placed directly beneath the rails and has its ends turned downwardly and inwardly to grip the same in case of wreck or otherwise.

the angle-iron bars of the tie. This underlying plate is formed at or near its center with a notch or notches, as seen at 19. The end of each rail is provided with a downwardlyturned lug 20, which is adapted to enter the notch in the plate 19. Vhile I have shown and described this construction as being used at rail-joints, yet it will be apparent that I may use a similar construction at intermediate points along the rails. At these points instead of forming a lug at the end of each rail I stamp the lug from the flange of the rail, said lug entering the notch in the underlying plate in the same manner as above described.

It will be seen from the aforegoing description that my tie is of a simple, yet strong and durable, construction and is inexpensive. It will also be noticed that the chair or fastening maybe easily removed for repair and replaced again without diffieulty or a new chair secured in place, and also that the bindingbolts are sufflciently high to render them easily accessible for tightening or loosening My construction also provides an adequate dirtgripping device, and in case of necessity the ties can be much more readily removed from the ground than other ties employing lugs for gripping the flanges of the rails. It will also be observed that the rails can be easily taken out of engagement with the ties and replaced ora new rail inserted. This is accomplished by simply unloosening the nuts on the ends of the angle-bars and on the fish-plate and sliding the said bars so that the lugs on the same do not engage the flanges of the rails, and the rail may be taken out. \Vhen it is desired to insert the rail again, the angle-bars are forced back into position, with the lugs on their horizontal flanges engaging the flanges of the rails and locked in position by tightening the nuts on the angle-bars and the fishplate.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is"

1. A railway-tie consisting of angle-iron bars placed side by side having their horizontal flanges uppermost and their vertical flanges adapted to engage the ground, lugs provided on said horizontal flanges for engaging the flanges of the rails, and a chair for securing the rails to the said tie, substantially as described.

2. A railway-tie consisting of angle-bars having horizontal flanges and vertical body portions, the horizontal flanges being uppermost and the vertical body portions being spaced apart and secured at their ends, a washer interposed between the ends of the angle-bars, lugs stamped out of the material constituting the horizontal flanges, for engaging the flanges of the rails, and a chair or fastening formed with a horizontal portion and a fish-plate, the construction being such that the chair or fastening will engage the ends ofthe angle-bars and the rails, substantially as described.

3. A railway-tie consisting of anglebars having horizontal flanges and vertical body portions, the horizontal flanges being uppermost and their vertical body portions adapted to engage the ground, lugs or projections formed on the ends of the angle-bars and provided with apertures, said lugs being elevated above the plane of the tie, means on the said horizontal flanges for engaging the flanges of the rails, and a chair or fastening comprising a horizontal portion formed with downwardly and inwardly turned ends and with a fishplate provided with apertures, the construction being such that the chair or fastening can be readily removed for repair, substantially as described.

4. In combination with an angle-iron tie, of means for preventing the creeping of the rails thereon, comprising a plate placed beneath the rails at their joints and adapted to engage the angle-iron bars of the tie, said plate being provided with notches, and projections cut from and integral with the flanges of the rails, said projections being adapted to enter the notches on the said plate, substantiallyas described.

5. In combination with an angle-iron tie, of

means for preventing the creeping of the rails thereon, comprising a plate placed beneath the rails and having its ends turned downwardly and inwardly to engage the edges of the angle-iron bars of the tie, said plate being provided with notches on opposite sides thereof, and lugs or projections stamped from the flanges of the rails, which lugs are adapted to enter the notches of the said underlying plate, the construction being such that the rails cannot be moved longitudinally, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS A. CLARKSON. \Vitnesses:

JAMEs T. WATsoN, JOHN H. llovnn. 

